Today is the day.....

The public smoking ban in Maryland goes into effect today,and while I understand it's intent,it is not the responsibility of the state to save us from ourselves.Where does it stop?Some strong odors,for example,can cause anaphalactic shock in an asthmatic.Do we ban all personal fragrances?The majority of businesses already had smoking bans in place but the new law limits smoking literally to ones home or car.Some local beaches have enacted smoking bans too.There is no loophole that will allow a business to offer a seperate designated smoking area under the law and that is a little unfair.As long as comparable accomodations are made for non-smokers and the business has enough demand for a smoking area to justify the expense of expansion,why can they not do so?

Don't people walk in the other 49 states?

Senator Verna Jones introduced a bill today in Annapolis to designate walking as the "official exercise" of Maryland-but it isn't getting much support.I can understand a state bird,state song,even the other state symbols like the Chesapeake Bay Retriever & Blue Crab.I initially thought the effort to make Smith Island Cake the official State Dessert was a little trite and corny but since then I think it may help put Smith Island on the map and attract tourists,which is always a good thing for the state and the local communities.However,I do not see what makes walking for exercise unique to Maryland when people do it in all 50 states!While walking is by far the easiest,most inexpensive and safest form of exercise for all ages,it is in no way reminiscent of any particular state or its inhabitants.
And while some people would point to the State Dessert designation as frivolous,those cakes ARE a local tradition and represent a part of the state that few outsiders know anything about when they visit Maryland.Theres nothing wrong with the suggestion that walking is popular in Maryland,it is just isn't relevant.